LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 






Chap. 

Shelf 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



THE DAGGATOUNS: 



A TRIBE OF JEWISH ORIGIN IN THE DESERT 
OF SAHARA. 



A KEYIEW. 



HENRY SAMUEL MORAIS, 

Author of "Eminent Israelites of the Nineteenth Century.' 







°WA8H^ r; 



PHILADELPHIA : 

EDWARD STERN & CO. 
1882. 



PREFATORY NOTE. 



The following paper is reprinted from The Jewish 
Messenger, of March nth, 1881. If it be deemed 
worthy of acceptance as a modest contribution to the 
growing literature of the "dark continent," it will have 
fully served the purpose for which it was written. 



The Daggatouns. 

THE period of ethnological discovery is not over. 
The darkness which overspread the East for 
so many centuries is fast being dispelled by the prodi- 
gious efforts of modern research. Every day, new 
facts are brought to light about countries and peoples 
long unknown to the civilized world. Africa has been 
the central point of recent investigations. The mani- 
fold labors of Bruce, Livingstone, Baker and Stanley 
have aroused a deep interest in the state of far-distant 
regions. And, as may be readily surmised, Hebrews 
have not failed to contribute their share to this object. 
The writings of such as Philoxene Luzzatto and Joseph 
Halevy more particularly, bear witness to the fact. 
Many doubts have been cleared up, as, for example, in 
the case of the Falashas, — a tribe of Jews inhabiting 
Abyssinia.* Now another great feat has been achieved. 
Rabbi Mordecai Aby Serour, a native of Akka, in 
Morocco, has given us a remarkable account of the 
Daggatouns, — a people whom he has very recently dis- 
covered. The narrative of Rabbi Serour might not 
have been circulated but for the untiring energy of M. 
Isidore Loeb, the learned Secretary of the Alliance 

* See James Brace's Travels ; also " The Falashas," by the Rev. 
S. Morais, in The Fenn Monthly, of April, 1880. 



Israelite Universelle, who has offered a French transla- 
tion from the original Hebrew, adding thereto valuable 
notes.* 

We are told that the attempt of Rabbi Serour was 
perilous in the extreme, and that, chiefly through the 
active assistance of M. Auguste Beaumier, French 
Consul at Mogador, the traveler and his family suc- 
ceeded in reaching Timbuctoo. When there, the 
French Geographical Society entrusted him with the 
mission of exploring African countries. To that or- 
ganization, and to kindred ones, he has been the means 
of imparting useful information. In his journey through 
the great desert of Sahara, Rabbi Serour encountered 
a Jewish tribe of nomads. The results of a careful 
study of their history and social condition were set 
down, and forwarded to the Alliance Israelite Univer- 
selle at Paris. Thus was M. Loeb enabled to favor the 
public with his version. 

The translator, in his preface, wisely observes that, 
as the narrative emanates from an African Israelite, 
whose historical and scientific knowledge is exceed- 
ingly limited, we must not wonder if exaggerations, as 
well as chronological inaccuracies, are discernible. But 
that the recital in the main is true there can be no 
doubt, as it is fully attested by authority. 

A few words before we approach the direct topic. 
In the desert of Sahara there are many fertile spots, or 
oases. Some of these, as modern travelers assert, are 
thickly peopled. Rabbi Serour's discovery seems to 
have extended to the southern portion of the desert, 

* Les Daggatoun, Tribu D' Origine Juive, Demeurant Dans Le 
Desert Du Sahara, par le rabbin Mardochee Aby Serour, Traduit de 
VHebreu, et Annote, par Isidore Loeb : Paris, 1880. 



and even into Soudan, beyond Timbuctoo, as far as the 
River Niger. The principal inhabitants of the regions 
are designated Touaregs or Touariks. From these 
have branched out the Aouelamiden or orthodox Tou- 
aregs, dwelling in the great desert of Adgag. The 
Rabbi informs us that the Aouelamiden are a very 
numerous sect, amounting to about 300,000. But he 
is not borne out by other accounts, which reckon the 
entire body of Touaregs at only 200,000. Be that as 
it may, the Aouelamiden possess the greatest power, 
which they exercise over all the Touaregs. About the 
real history of this people little is known. They claim 
to be the descendants of the ancient Philistines, as do 
the Berbers and other tribes. 

But to the subject proper. Daggatoun is the ap- 
pellation by which the Touaregs designate Jews who 
have changed their belief y though the literal definition 
of the word in Arabic is, according to M. Loeb, mer- 
chants ; traders. The Daggatouns are scattered all 
over the desert. But the greater number live among 
the orthodox Touaregs in Adgag, where Rabbi Serour's 
most important labors have been directed. The coun- 
try is not destitute of flocks and herds, and the neces- 
sary means to sustain life are within reach. Nor are 
we led to suppose that the Daggatouns, though sub- 
jects of the Touaregs, fare worse than the rest. They 
have at hand what is needed, notwithstanding that they 
live, as do all the other inhabitants, in tents. Both 
peoples have the same language, which we may merely 
conjecture is Arabic, for the Rabbi has not indicated it. 
The Touaregs regard the Daggatouns as an inferior 
race, because of their affinity with the Jews; hence, 



8 

they do not permit intermarriages. But a most striking 
circumstance concerning those who confess themselves 
of Hebrew stock is their complexion and features. 
Strange as it may appear in such a clime, Rabbi Serour 
asserts that " these converted Jews have skin perfectly 
white. They are very handsome ; much handsomer 
than the finest looking Jews of Africa. Not one is 
black." How this may be accounted for, the sequel 
will tell. 

The Touaregs, as a body, do not show much con- 
sideration in their treatment of these Jews. As a 
means of protection, therefore, every Daggatoun secures 
the services of a person from among the Touaregs 
themselves, who acts as a defender in case of need, and 
for which he is paid a stipulated sum annually. Again, 
when the Touaregs are at war, the Daggatouns must 
lead the vanguard. They do not, however, deem this 
a hardship, as many of them are especially trained for 
the fight. 

We omit, for the sake of brevity, several minor 
matters, but must not pass by an important statement: 
None of the inhabitants of the country, Touaregs or 
Daggatouns, have any system of writing or instruction, 
nor have they any books . Still, certain notions of the art 
of writing do exist, possibly by figures or by some other 
method, which Rabbi Serour terms the well-known 
writing of the Touaregs. Unfortunately, he does not 
explain what this actually is, hence nothing definite 
can be understood. The people, or, at all events, the 
Daggatouns, are not wholly ignorant. They should 
not be classed with most of the natives of Africa ; for 
tradition has kept them up to a comparatively high 



standard ; it has, indeed, worked wonders among them. 
As an evidence that the bulk of the population is thor- 
oughly acquainted with the origin of the Daggatouns, 
the Rabbi relates that he and his brother were con- 
versing and trading with the aforenamed, when some of 
the Touaregs passed by, and jestingly said : " Ho ! 
there are your brothers, the Jews, who come to see 
you, and you receive them with much tenderness !" 
" Yes," answered the Daggatouns, " these are men of 
our nation, and our brothers !" 

The historical account is as follows : There are in 
Morocco four cities, which, it is stated, were known 
prior to the destruction of the First Temple at Jeru- 
salem. Their names are Tafilelt, Tebelbelt, El Ham- 
meda, and Tementit. A description of these places is 
thus given : 

Tafilelt lies near the desert. Across this desert, 
from one side, the traveler can reach by direct route 
the Holy Land, and from other sides Timbuctoo, Touat, 
El Hammeda, and Tebelbelt. 

Tebelbelt is in the desert itself, between Tafilelt and 
Taouadni. Formerly this city was in a flourishing 
condition, but since the foundation of Taouadni, about 
a century ago, it has been almost ruined, and the Jews 
have been driven away by the Philistines, who, as 
before stated, are the Touaregs. In Tebelbelt may be 
seen vaults or caverns, where are the tombs of numer- 
ous Rabbis, the inscriptions on some dating as far back 
as two thousand years, and even farther. 

El Hammeda, the exact position of which is not 
recorded, is also full of vaults and caves, inscriptions 
found there being as ancient as the period of the Second 



10 

Temple. "Here," remarks Rabbi Serour, "my father 
and his ancestors were born." To this day, says our 
informant, the Je vvs of that city have sacred poems and 
prayers, {fizmonim, piyutim, bakkaschot and kinot), 
which were in use at the time of the Second Temple, 
and they claim to possess some known as early as the 
First Temple. 

In by-gone ages, the Jews in El Hammeda were 
most cruelly persecuted, being exiled, burnt alive, and 
otherwise barbarously treated by the ruling inhabitants, 
the Philistines. As already mentioned, from these 
enemies of Judaism have sprung the Berbers, the 
Touaregs, the Aouelamiden, and other distinct tribes 
and races, all being of the same family, as shown by 
the similarity of language, laws, religious belief and 
customs. Something very remarkable has been noticed 
respecting the exercise of their religion. They never 
utter a prayer, nor have they any regular form of pub- 
lic worship. They simply invoke the name of Maho- 
met. It is a natural suggestion of our own mind that 
they know of the existence of God ; for, in referring to 
their belief, the name of the Almighty does not once 
occur in Rabbi Serour's narrative. It would be inex- 
plicably singular if they had heard of Mahomet, and not 
of the Everlasting Creator! We do not charge the 
Rabbi with a misstatement, but there must clearly be 
a gap somewhere in the tale. 

Each of the tribes alluded to dwells in its own por- 
tion of the desert. As to dress and manners, a strong 
resemblance is perceived, save among the Berbers. All, 
however, cover the face with a black veil, which they 
may not remove, nor even lift up, on pain of death. 



Tementit, the fourth city named, is the largest. It 
is situated on the border of the desert. It abounds in 
beautiful fountains and valleys ; also, palm trees. To 
the East, by the desert, one can reach Egypt, and 
Palestine, and by other roads, Timbuctoo, Houca, and 
Akka, across mountains and hills. From Tementit to 
cities before mentioned, there is a journey on foot, of, 
in some cases, as many as thirteen days. 

This part of the recital concerns us most. Rabbi 
Serour speaks of Tementit as having been one of the 
capitals of the Jews, where many learned Israelites 
lived. Possibly that city may be identified with one 
of a different name in ancient times, but no explana- 
tion to this effect is offered. Old inscriptions on 
tombs are also found there. The story runs thus : 
Jews and Mahometans agree that Mahomet, after con- 
quering Arabia, came to Jerusalem, besieged it, and 
made war against all who declined accepting his doc- 
trines; that the Hebrews, in order to practise their 
faith and enjoy freedom, engaged to pay him an annual 
tax of one shekel per capita ; that this tax was called 
Djezia ; that when Mahomet's power increased, and 
his throne became hereditary, in after years one Abdel 
Malik, who pretended to be a descendant of the 
prophet's family, came across the desert with a numer- 
ous army, and proclaimed himself king, instituting 
at the same time laws obnoxious to the Jews, and mal- 
treating them ; that Abdel Malik, desiring to still further 
extend his dominion, came unto Tementit, which was 
filled with Philistines and Jews ; that he durst not attack 
them, by reason of their great bodily strength ; that 
he asked to live in peace among them, which request 



12 

was granted. Not a long time elapsed ere he suc- 
ceeded, by his cunning, in bringing to his standard all 
the Philistines. He then wished to convert the Jews ; 
but these, ever true to their faith, peremptorily refused. 
Frustrated in his schemes, he attempted, what many 
others have tried, but unsuccessfully, to exterminate 
them. But, strange as it may seem, the Philistines 
protected their neighbors ; for long years of intercourse 
had put an end to the bitter feelings early entertained. 
Besides, the Jews had become familiarized with the 
habits and customs of the Philistines. Unable to ac- 
complish his evil purpose, Abdel Malik exiled all the 
Hebrews, who departed with a portion of their goods, 
and came to the desert of Adgag, where they pitched 
their tents, and still live to this day. Abdel Malik did 
not entirely bring about the change he sought for. 
The Philistines would not adopt Mahometanism as it 
is ; they set aside the forms, observances, and injunctions 
of that religion. Therefore, in course of time, he drove 
them out of their country, and they came and lived 
with the Jews at Adgag. Still, the ideas imbibed from 
Abdel Malik were not altogether erased, but the Philis- 
tines can be considered Mahometans only in an out- 
ward sense. In the lapse of ages, by constant 
association with their neighbors, the Jews forgot their 
religion, and were called Daggatoun, or, as already 
told us, converted. 

The foregoing, Rabbi Serour relates as actual facts. 
When penning his narrative, he was evidently pre- 
pared for contradictions and exceptions, as he observes: 
" If I am asked, how I know all these things, I reply : 
Between Tementit and El Hammeda is a six days' 



13 

journey, and at El Hammeda are yet to be found de- 
scendants of the Israelites expelled from Tementit ; 
they are called Tementetines. They and the inhabitants 
of El Hammeda have preserved the tradition of these 
events. My father and his brother and their father 
were born at El Hammeda, and my father was in the 
habit of continually rehearsing these events to us. 
When my brother and myself traversed the desert to 
go to Timbuctoo, we saw these Daggatouns. Their 
figure, their character, their beauty, the whiteness of 
their skin, their grace and their goodness, could not 
fail to excite our attention. We asked ourselves how 
could all such qualities and noble characteristics meet 
in the midst of these tribes, until we understood by 
their own testimony, and that of the Mohametans, that 
these men were descendants of the Jews. Many times 
the elders of their nation have come to us (Rabbi Serour 
and his brother) to sell the goods of their country. 
When we questioned them about their race, they always 
said : ' We are originally from Tementit, and our an- 
cestors were Jews.' We once said to them, ' By your 
life, tell us the truth ! This Mahomet, whose name you 
have constantly on your lips, and whose remembrance 
you bless, is he the father of your sacred writings ? 
and are there persons among you who can read the 
Koran, or who can recite portions of it from memory ? ' 
They emphatically answered that they did not know 
the Koran, and that, having descended from the Jews, 
and not resembling in any manner the other tribes 
(Philistines or Touaregs), they could not have exactly 
the same religion. 'Notwithstanding this,' they con- 
tinued, ' even if we accepted their practices, they 



would not cease calling us converted. In short, our 
ancestors have lived Avith the Touaregs, in the desert, 
and even among these (Touaregs) you will not find a 
single man who will prostrate himself on the ground to 
pray, nor one who is able to read a word. All their 
worship reduces itself to pronouncing the name of 
Mahomet, as we ourselves do.' Such has been the con- 
stant reply they have given us." 

In following the recital of Rabbi Serour, we have 
ventured but few comments. But having now pre- 
sented his account in full, as well as his opinion, we 
may be permitted a remark. The reader has, of course, 
noticed the sad lack of continuity of thought and ex- 
pression which characterizes the Rabbi's production. 
It has been considered unadvisable to adopt any special 
mode of setting forth events, inasmuch as the narra- 
tive speaks for itself, despite the want of system in its 
composition. There are statements which we, in accord 
with sentiments of M. Isidore Loeb, cannot reconcile, 
but they do not affect the general credibility of the 
sketch. 

Rabbi Mordecai Aby Serour is entitled to our re- 
spect and gratitude for having, with commendable zeal, 
braved dangers to serve the cause of science. The 
fragments which he has collected about a sect whose 
origin and preservation are truly astonishing, will', it is 
hoped, awaken a desire to proceed further on in the 
path which our traveler has opened ; and, moreover, 
incite a keen wish to afford those who are clearly in 
need of education and extensive culture, the facilities 
to rise to a higher plane, through the refining influences 
of modern civilization. 



THE DAGGATOUNS : 



A TRIBE OF JEWISH ORIGIN IN THE DESERT 
OF SAHARA. 



A EEYIEW. 



HENRY SAMUEL MORAIS, 

Author of " Eminent Israelites of the Nineteenth Century." 



= 



J& 



PHILADELPHIA : 

EDWARD STERN & CO. 
1882. 



By HENRY SAMUEL MORAIS. 



Eminent Israelites of the Nineteenth Century, 

A SERIES OF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 
Cloth, 8vo. pp. 371. Price, $2.00 



OPINIONS OF THE AMERICAN AND FOREIGN PRESS. 

" For amount and variety of matter relating to modern Jews, it is safe to say 
that no book of similar extent and worth has yet appeared." — Philadelphia Press. 

" The book will find a welcome reception, especially among Jewish families, but 
even still more widely." — New York Nation. 

" Mr. Morais has done well. He has made a unique and valuable contribution 
to the literature of useful and honourable lives, and has furnished a sterling chapter 
for that great work, yet incomplete, but one day to be written, The Hebrew in 
Human History." — Boston Literary World. 

" The sketches are tersely and vigorously written, and full of details." — London 
Jewish World. 

" A work which must prove of interest to all those who watch the intellectual 
progress of the scattered members of God's ancient people."— Jewish Herald. 
(Melbourne, Australia.) 

" Its perusal will prove a source of pure enjoyment to young and old/' — The 
Hebrew (San Francisco, Cal.) 

" The book is one which has its interest for every class of readers; musicians, 
artists, physicians, publicists, business men — will all find here the names of men 
eminent in their own walks of life. We hope that it will meet tflfe success it de- 
serves." — Penn Monthly (Philadelphia.) 

" It is a timely and useful book, and an exhibition of wonderful activity and 
ability on the part of the Israelites of the world." — New York Independent. 



THE DAGGATOUNS-. 

A TRIBE OF JEWISH ORIGIN IN THE DESERT OF SAHARA. 

A REVIEW. 

i2mo. Thick Paper. Sewed. - - - Price, 15 cents. 

Either or both of the above sent post-paid to any address, on receipt of price, by 

EDWARD STERN & CO., Publishers, 

PHILADELPHIA. 



.!£5^n H «35|« 



029 988 186 jjl 



